Date Night Products

So there I was getting ready for my date on Saturday and I suddenly became aware that in a relatively short space of time, I’d used an incredible number of products in the ‘dolling up’ process. I thought it would be faintly amusing to list them all. So here goes, in order of usage:

1. Shu Uemura Cleasing Oil – to precleanse the face, followed by

2. Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser – to slough away dead cells

3. Lisa Hoffman Spa Bath Body Polish – This grainy exfoliator scrubs away dead skin to prepare for self-tanning products. Smells great, lovely packaging and I like the pump action bottle.

4. Gielly Green Volume Shampoo & Conditioner – I love this new organic haircare range, for a natural shampoo it has just the right amount of lather, rinses out well and leaves hair healthy and shiny looking. Also contains wonder ingredient Argan Oil. Smells great, and again, lovely packaging.

6. Caudalie Vine Body Butter – Smells completely divine, like fruit sorbet. Skin feels soft and hydrated after use, ready for self-tanner. Caudalie can do no wrong in my eyes…

6. Model Co Tan Mousse – This was the first time I’d tried this product, I used the mitt provided and the mousse seemed to smooth in very well, leaving a sheer veil of colour which gradually developed in a really gorgeous natural tan. I will definitely use this product again, it was very easy to apply (except for the back perhaps) and I loved the colour. 2 days on it’s still looking even and sun kissed. The only downside is that it came off on my clothes on the first night, I wore a white top and it was particularly noticeable in the underarm area. NOT good for a date!

7. Caudalie Premier Cru Eye Cream – I LOVE this eye cream. The delicate skin around the eyes feels velvety and nourished.

8. Darphin Melaperfect – I’m trialling this at the moment. Clinical studies have shown it to be effective in reducing age spots and pigmentation by as much as 50%. Results to follow.

9. Lancome Flash Bronzer Anti-Age for the face – gives skin an instant shimmery glow, with a self-tan that gradually develops. And an added bonus of anti-ageing ingredients. I was worried that my skin would feel dry without a moisturiser underneath, but it didn’t at all. A word of caution, this thick-ish gel needs to be rubbed in really well, it can look patchy otherwise, especially around the eyebrows or on patches of dry skin.

10. Dermalogica Multivitamin Powerfirm – I always use this around my eyes after my eye cream has fully absorbed. It acts as a wonderful silky base to apply concealer to.

11. Living Proof Full Thickening Cream – See blog post here. My new hair saviour.

12. Deborah Lippman Nail Polish in Naked – on toes. The perfect opaque pinky nude shade. My toes look sophisticated. If that’s possible.

13. No 17 Supreme Shine Nail Polish and Crackle Top Coat – on hands, you can read more on this here

14. Per-fekt Beauty Skin Perfecting Gel – this is a sheer veil of colour for the face, it has an amazing texture, skin feels very silky afterwards, pores are diminished, skin looks matte but healthy. This was great to use in place of my usual tinted moisturiser. After using a self-tan on my face, I wanted a lighter, sheer coverage and this worked beautifully.

15. MAC Pro Longwear Concealer – around eyes and nose. This gives amazing coverage whilst being not too heavy.

16. MAC Transparent Finishing Powder – just a dusting on my oily T-zone

17. Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Shadow in Sandy Gold – I love this pale shimmery gold (this picture doesn’t do it justice at all) and it stays in place ALL night

18. Bobbi Brown Eyeshadow in Chocolate – for shading and definition

19. Lancome Black Artliner – my favourite liquid liner, it gives the perfect sharp edged line

20. Boots Naturals Clear Brow Gel – I now have semi-permanent make up on my brows so all I need is a slick of this clear gel to keep them in place

21. Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers – one of my desert island products

22. Ardell Individual False Lashes – just a few on the corners for a more feline eye

22. Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara – This was a first time product too. I liked the mascara but not the huge wand. I kept getting the product on my cheeks.

23. Dr Hauschka Bronzing Powder – mainly to give definition underneath the cheekbones

24. By Terry Creme Blush in Apple Glow – I just discovered this blush. It blends in seamlessly, and leaves a sheer natural rosy shade on the cheeks. Love it. Although it does fade after a few hours. Need to keep reapplying which means it’s not going to last that long and it’s very expensive!

25. MAC Tinted Lip Conditioner in Petting Pink – a barely there dusty pink lip balm

26. Batiste Brunette Dry Shampoo – I always give my hair a blast with this as I leave the house for extra volume and texture

27. Elnett Hairspray – an old classic

28. D&G ‘The One’ fragrance – I get complimentary comments every time I wear this scent. A winner.

Crikey. That’s almost 30 separate products. I never had myself down as a ‘high maintenance’ kinda gal but this list would suggest otherwise! No wonder my weekend away bag is always so heavy. The thing is, apart from the self tanning lotions and false lashes which I only use occasionally, I can’t actually do without any of these products, in fact there are several that I didn’t use on Saturday night that I normally use daily. Do you know how many products you normally use as part of your daily routine? I’d love to hear about them.

Anyhow, this all brings me onto my next post… National No Make Up Day on March 24th.